Schedule preview: Georgia
We are inside of three months away from the start of the college football season, and while there are still several questions that need to be answered before Missouri kicks off its 2019 campaign (such as clearing up whether the team will be allowed to play in the postseason this year), it’s never too early to start taking a look at the schedule. In this series, we are going game-by-game to break down the Tigers' slate. Today, we preview what figures to be the toughest regular-season test of the year: a Week Nine matchup at Georgia.
2018 season
Record: 11-3
Against Missouri: Won 43-29
Key losses: RB Elijah Holyfield, WR Mecole Hardman, WR Riley Ridley, TE Isaac Nauta, DE Jonathan Ledbetter, CB DeAndre Baker
Key returners: QB Jake Fromm, RB D’Andre Swift, OT Andrew Thomas, OG Solomon Kindley, OG Ben Cleveland, DT Jordan Davis, S J.R. Reed, S Richard Lecounte, LB Monty Rice, K Rodgrigo Blankenship
Quick Look
A Georgia program revitalized by the hiring of Kirby Smart three years ago has cemented itself among the nation’s best, with two late losses to Alabama the only real blemishes. After reeling in the nation’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class for the second season in a row in 2019, the Bulldogs should be back in the top five of every preseason poll again this year. Georgia’s offense will be built around third-year starting quarterback Jake Fromm and a perennially strong rushing attack. Fromm has established himself as the guy behind center after beating out five-star recruits Jacob Eason and Justin Fields each of the past two offseasons. He threw for 30 touchdowns and six interceptions a season ago and ranked second in the SEC in both completion percentage and yards per attempt. While the Bulldogs will be without their top three pass-catchers from a season ago — wideouts Riley Ridley and Mecole Hardman and tight end Isaac Nauta — the team has recruited well enough that plenty of talent should be waiting in the wings.
More importantly for Fromm, the Georgia rushing attack should be good as ever. Last season, the Bulldogs ranked No. 16 nationally, averaging about 239 yards per game on the ground, and No. 7 nationally in yards per attempt. With Elijah Holyfield gone, D’Andre Swift should be the feature back. Despite splitting time with Holyfield, Swift rushed for 1,049 yards and 10 touchdowns and also caught three touchdowns a season ago. Zamir White, the top-ranked running back in the 2018 recruiting class who missed all of last season with a torn ACL, could compliment Swift if he is healthy. The Georgia running backs will operate behind one of the best offensive lines in the country.
The Bulldog defense was one of the best in the conference last season, especially against the pass. Georgia surrendered just 180 yards per game through the air, which ranked second in the SEC and No. 12 nationally. But after losing first-team all-American cornerback DeAndre Baker and first-team all-SEC defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter to the NFL during the offseason, the Bulldogs might not be quite as stingy against opposing air attacks. The good news is that both starting safeties, J.R. Reed and Richard Lecounte, will be back this season. Lecounte and Reed ranked first and second, respectively, on the team in tackles last season. Georgia struggled a bit at times against the run last season, allowing more than 170 yards on the ground three times: in losses to LSU and Texas and against Missouri. The Tigers will certainly look to ride its running game against the Bulldogs again this season.
Players to watch
1. J.J. Holloman, WR
Given the strength, at least on paper, of Georgia’s rushing attack and its relative inexperience at receiver, it seems the formula for slowing down the Bulldog offense will be selling out to stop the run and forcing the pass-catchers to win one-on-one matchups. Holloman figures to be one of Fromm’s top targets. He caught 24 passes for 418 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore last season. Holloman is a big play waiting to happen — he averaged 17.4 yards per catch on the season, and his longest catch of the year a controversial 61-yard touchdown during which he appeared to drop the ball short of the goal line, came against Missouri. Even if the Tigers do manage to contain the Georgia rushing attack, it will need to keep Holloman and the rest of the receivers from breaking the game open with big plays.
2. J.R. Reed, S
One of the best safeties in the SEC, Reed’s return to Georgia for his senior season provides the Bulldog defense with a big boost. Reed has been effective in both run support and pass coverage throughout his career. Last season, he totaled 66 tackles, including eight against Missouri, while also intercepting two passes. According to Pro Football Focus, his coverage grade of 89.8 was nearly identical to that of Baker, a first-round NFL Draft pick at corner. Reed will likely be leaned upon to absorb some coverage responsibility with Baker out of the lineup this season. He will also serve as a ball-hawk looking to generate turnovers, and as was illustrated in last season’s matchup, Missouri cannot lose the turnover battle and expect to beat Georgia.
3. Tyler Clark, DT
As mentioned above, Georgia’s run defense served as a fairly reliable barometer for the team’s success. The Bulldogs allowed an average of 134 yards per game on the ground, but in their three losses, that number jumped to 203. Missouri racked up the most yards on the ground of any team Georgia beat with 172. It’s no secret that Missouri will want to run the ball this season, and if it is able to consistently carve out four- and five-yard gains, keep the chains moving and possess the ball against the Bulldogs, it will have a better chance at pulling an upset. On the other hand, if Georgia’s defensive front, led by Clark, shuts down the Tiger ground game and puts all the pressure on Kelly Bryant’s arm, it could be a long game for Missouri.
Summary
Once again, Georgia is loaded. The Bulldog roster is easily the most talented Missouri will face during the regular season. And while the Tigers proved last year that they are capable of moving the football against Georgia and slowing down the Bulldog ground game, at least for most of the game, the most recent matchup also proved that it will take a near-perfect overall game from Missouri to pull off an upset, especially in Athens. That’s a lot to ask. The one sliver of hope for Missouri fans is that Georgia will play its annual neutral-site showdown against Florida in Jacksonville the week prior. Perhaps the Bulldogs will come out sluggish after what promises to be a physical matchup with another preseason top 10 team.
Missouri's full 2019 schedule
8/31: at Wyoming (Read our preview here.)
9/7: West Virginia (Preview)
9/14: Southeast Missouri State
9/21: South Carolina (Preview)
10/5: Troy (Preview)
10/12: Ole Miss (Preview)
10/19: at Vanderbilt (Preview)
10/26: at Kentucky (Preview)
11/9: at Georgia
11/16: Florida
11/23: Tennessee
11/29: at Arkansas*
* Game will be played in Little Rock